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What's the recommended daily milk thistle dose for my dog's weight?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Female | spayed | 10 years and 1 month old | 25 lbs

WHAT IS THE RECCOMENDED DOSE MILK THISTLE 13KG DOG

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 14th, 2019

( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/milk-thistle-or-silymarin )

It is very safe to use and has a wide dosing range. I suggest for most uses, using use up to 100 mg per 10 pounds of body weight of milk thistle extract daily. Split the daily amount into 2 or 3 doses over the course of the day.

Example: 13kg = 28.6 pounds. I would round up to 30#. 30 pounds x 100 mg/10# = 300mg per day. I would give 100mg three times per day or somewhere close to that dosing regimen.

Too high a dose can cause an upset stomach, gas, or mild diarrhea; these are easily resolved by giving less.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

15Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on January 24th, 2017
Milk thistle is pretty safe for dogs, but at high doses is can cause GI upset, diarrhea, and gas. The recommended dose for it is 75-100 mg per 10 lbs body weight per day. So for a 70 pound dog, that's 525mg per day if you give Maggie the lower dose. You could give her one 240mg pill twice a day. I would not recommend giving this to her unless advised by your vet.
4Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on January 22nd, 2017
The recommended dose for this supplement is 2mg/lb. Always check with your veterinarian or certified veterinary homeopath before giving a new supplement to your dog. Milk thistle should not be given to healthy dogs as a daily supplement. Caution should also be exercised when the source and strength of the supplement is unknown. Your vet may have a preferred (and verified) source or vendor.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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